Animation Career Review

The Guildhall at SMU,. Southern Methodist University’s master’s-level game design program, has earned high national and international rankings from Animation Career Review.

The Review ranks The Guildhall as one of the top 10 animation and game-design schools in the Southwest. Other schools to make the list include Brigham Young, UT-Austin and the University of Colorado-Boulder.

The Review cites The Guildhall’s partnerships with SMU undergraduate tracks in Lyle School of Engineering and Meadows School of the Arts among its attractive features, noting that The Guildhall’s Master of Interactive Technology program “has produced hundreds of successful graduates, employed at more than 140 video game studios around the world.”

In addition, the Review ranks The Guildhall in the top 100 (#76) among game animation programs worldwide. This ranking is especially noteworthy because The Guildhall’s four areas of study – Art Creation, Level Design, Production and Software Development – do not include an animation specialization.

Animation Career Review launched in 2011 to provide “the most comprehensive … information for aspiring animation and game design professionals,” according to its mission statement. In creating its 2013 regional rankings, the Review considered more than 400 U.S. schools that offer programs geared towards animation or game design. Their ranking criteria include academic reputation, admission selectivity, depth and breadth of the program and faculty, value as it relates to tuition, and geographic location.

The Guildhall at SMU is celebrating its 10th anniversary throughout 2013-14 with everything from a virtual yearbook to a brand-new career portal for its alumni. Additional details and upcoming events will be posted to The Guildhall website and Facebook.

When The Guildhall opened its doors in 2003, “The Tonight Show” had a field day.

“At Southern Methodist University they have opened a college of video games. It’s a school where the students can specialize in video games. Finally — a degree more useless than political science,” Jay Leno joked.

Since then, The Guildhall has proven the complexity and value of the education it provides.

“At our 10-year milestone, we have successfully answered the initial critics. A master’s degree in game development is not a passing fad,” he said. “And the growth in gaming and gamification will provide many more creative opportunities for our students, faculty and alumni.”